BNP leader Major Hafiz gets bail in 10-year-old sabotage case

Maj (retd) Hafizuddin, former MP and minister from BNP.

A Dhaka court on Sunday granted bail to BNP Standing Committee member (retired) Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who was sentenced to prison in a political violence case for 21 months in a sabotage case. 

Judge Ash-Shams Jaglul Hussein of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court of Dhaka, passed the order. 

Confirming the matter to the media, BNP leader’s lawyer Aminul Islam said there is no bar for his release. 

Earlier on December 28, a Dhaka court sentenced BNP Vice Chairmen (retired) Air Vice Marshal Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM) leader (retired) Major Md Hanif to 21 months’ imprisonment in the case.

They were sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment under two separate sections of the Penal Code and fined Tk 5,000 each. 

Five other accused- MA Awal Khan, Md Russel, Moinul Islam, Md Babul Hossain alias Babu and Md Alamgir Hossain alias Razu –were imprisoned for three and a half years and fined Tk 5,000 each.

The case statement said the accused were involved in obstructing police and attacking them from an unlawful rally on the street in front of Mohakhali Wireless Gate Panir Tank aea of Gulshan and obstructed police from conducting their duties in 2011. They allegedly attacked the law enforcers and vandalized and torched vehicles.

Police filed the case with Gulshan Police Station in connection with the incident.

It may be remembered that on March 5, a Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka CMM Court sent BNP leader Hafiz to the jail rejecting the bail plea of the BNP leader, who appeared before the court in a wheelchair. - Special Correspondent